Caribou Hunting Research Articles

Sedimentary biomarkers and bone specimens reveal a history of prehistoric occupation on Somerset Island (Arctic Canada).

Archaeological studies of pre-historic Arctic cultures are often limited to artefacts and architecture; such records may be incomplete and often do not provide a continuous record of past occupation. Here, we used lake sediment archives to supplement archaeological evidence to explore the history of Thule and Dorset populations on Somerset Island, Nunavut (Canada). We examined biomarkers in dated sediment cores from two ponds adjacent to abandoned Thule settlements (PaJs-3 and PaJs-13) and compared these to sediment cores from two ponds without past human occupation. Coprostanol and epicoprostanol, δ15N measurements, sedimentary chlorophyll a and the ratio of diatom valves to chrysophyte cysts were elevated in the dated sediment profiles at both sites during Thule and Dorset occupations. Periods of pronounced human impact during the Thule occupation of the site were corroborated by 14C-dated caribou bones found at both sites that identified intense caribou hunting between ca 1185 and 1510 CE. Notably, these sediment core data show evidence of the Dorset occupation from ca 200 to 500 CE at sites where archaeological evidence was heretofore lacking. We highlight the utility of lake sediments in assisting archaeological studies to better establish the timings, peak occupations and even lifestyle practices of the Dorset and Thule Arctic peoples.

Two millennia of climate change, wildfires, and caribou hunting in west Greenland

Changing climatic conditions is a perpetual circumstance for mankind. In this study, we investigate local environmental and climatic changes near Kangerlussuaq, west Greenland. Our reconstruction is based on a lake sediment core and methods include chemical proxies and a palynological analysis. The investigated site is located 15 km from the Aasivissuit Inuit summer hunting ground, which has been in use for caribou hunting for more than 2000 years. The presented climatic reconstruction covers the time from c. 560 CE to present time. We identify three distinct periods of climate regimes: From c. 560–1100 CE conditions were stable, warm and humid, and summer temperatures were 1.5–2°C warmer than today. 1100–1600 was a period of cooler and very arid conditions with more sea ice, corresponding to the Neoglacial cooling. In this period, we detect two wildfire events and subsequent temporary caribou abandonment of the area. From 1600 to present we find increasingly warmer conditions with more precipitation and less extensive sea ice cover, gradually approaching today’s climate regime in Kangerlussuaq. We review the existing literature regarding the Aasivissuit summer hunting ground, which was first used concurrently with the detected cooling. Despite climatic deterioration, the hunting ground was regularly in use throughout the Neoglacial and onwards, with peak hunting intensity in the early 1700s. The detected wildfires and reindeer abandonment are interpreted to be localized events at the coring site and did not affect the hunting ground. Our findings highlight the resilience of the Inuit hunters to climatic changes as well as the advantages and limitations of local environmental reconstructions.

Ancient DNA provides insights into 4,000 years of resource economy across Greenland.

The success and failure of past cultures across the Arctic was tightly coupled to the ability of past peoples to exploit the full range of resources available to them. There is substantial evidence for the hunting of birds, caribou and seals in prehistoric Greenland. However, the extent to which these communities relied on fish and cetaceans is understudied because of taphonomic processes that affect how these taxa are presented in the archaeological record. To address this, we analyse DNA from bulk bone samples from 12 archaeological middens across Greenland covering the Palaeo-Inuit, Norse and Neo-Inuit culture. We identify an assemblage of 42 species, including nine fish species and five whale species, of which the bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) was the most commonly detected. Furthermore, we identify a new haplotype in caribou (Rangifer tarandus), suggesting the presence of a distinct lineage of (now extinct) dwarfed caribou in Greenland 3,000 years ago.

Indigenous-led conservation: Pathways to recovery for the nearly extirpated Klinse-Za mountain caribou.

Indigenous Peoples around the northern hemisphere have long relied on caribou for subsistence and for ceremonial and community purposes. Unfortunately, despite recovery efforts by federal and provincial agencies, caribou are currently in decline in many areas across Canada. In response to recent and dramatic declines of mountain caribou populations within their traditional territory, West Moberly First Nations and Saulteau First Nations (collectively, the “Nations”) came together to create a new vision for caribou recovery on the lands they have long stewarded and shared. The Nations focused on the Klinse‐Za subpopulation, which had once encompassed so many caribou that West Moberly Elders remarked that they were “like bugs on the landscape.” The Klinse‐Za caribou declined from ~250 in the 1990s to only 38 in 2013, rendering Indigenous harvest of caribou nonviable and infringing on treaty rights to a subsistence livelihood. In collaboration with many groups and governments, this Indigenous‐led conservation initiative paired short‐term population recovery actions, predator reduction and maternal penning, with long‐term habitat protection in an effort to create a self‐sustaining caribou population. Here, we review these recovery actions and the promising evidence that the abundance of Klinse‐Za caribou has more than doubled from 38 animals in 2013 to 101 in 2021, representing rapid population growth in response to recovery actions. With looming extirpation averted, the Nations focused efforts on securing a landmark conservation agreement in 2020 that protects caribou habitat over a 7986‐km2 area. The Agreement provides habitat protection for >85% of the Klinse‐Za subpopulation (up from only 1.8% protected pre‐conservation agreement) and affords moderate protection for neighboring caribou subpopulations (29%–47% of subpopulation areas, up from 0%–20%). This Indigenous‐led conservation initiative has set both the Indigenous and Canadian governments on the path to recover the Klinse‐Za subpopulation and reinstate a culturally meaningful caribou hunt. This effort highlights how Indigenous governance and leadership can be the catalyst needed to establish meaningful conservation actions, enhance endangered species recovery, and honor cultural connections to now imperiled wildlife.

Palaeolithic reindeer hunting camps from Cosăuți (Middle Dniester, Moldova)

Several Late Palaeolithic sites from the Middle Dniester area are characterized by specific artefact associations and archaeozoological assemblages that permit to include them in a particular category of reindeer hunting camps of the Palaeolithic communities. Among the Palaeolithic reindeer hunting camps, the multi-layered site of Cosăuți has a particular importance, since it includes more than two dozens of cultural layers dated from 20 to 14 thousand years BP. Nearly each of those strata exhibits an abundance of reindeer remains that represents up to 90% of the total archaeozoological material. The site of Cosăuți has yielded a variety of hunting weapons (spearheads, darts and spears, and a harpoon) that served for killing reindeer crossing the Dniester during the migration seasons. The geographical position of the site allows to control the part of the river valley where migrating reindeer herds crossed the Dniester and therefore the Cosăuți site had an advantageous strategical position. In many respects, the Palaeolithic site of Cosăuți resembles the location of the hunting camps of the ethnographically studied communities of caribou hunters in North America.

Exploring stakeholder communication within a caribou hunting system of Arctic Alaska

ABSTRACTThe Central Arctic Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) Herd (CACH) of Arctic Alaska rapidly declined (approximately 70%) between 2010–2016, which has generated hunter concerns and more conservative hunting regulations. Stakeholders expressed interest in exploring opportunities for a more effective exchange of information to facilitate management. We conducted a survey to identify hunters’ insights into CACH dynamics and to estimate the extent and effectiveness of stakeholder communication channels. Most hunters (69%) perceived a decline in caribou numbers where they hunt because of shifts in caribou movement. Approximately half of hunters (46%) communicated with other stakeholders and primarily shared their thoughts through solely informal (29%) rather than formal (2%) communication channels. Informal channels were perceived as equally or more effective than formal channels for influencing management. We provided a revised model of hunter engagement in the regulatory process. Our research contributes to knowledge on stakeholder communication channels, an understudied topic within wildlife management.

Fluted projectile points in a stratified context at the Raven Bluff site document a late arrival of Paleoindian technology in northwest Alaska

AbstractOur understanding of the northern fluted point tradition, a critical early New World lithic assemblage, is constrained by limited data from stratified, datable contexts. Here, we report on the Raven Bluff site in northwest Alaska, where fluted projectile points, microblades, and a well‐preserved faunal assemblage have been recovered from datable sediments. Results show that prehistoric inhabitants occupied a stone‐sorted polygon where retooling, game processing, and raw material procurement occurred mostly between 12,720 and at least 11,340 cal. yr B.P. We argue that once polygon formation ended, the stratigraphic context remained relatively intact. Further studies focused on the site’s lithic and bone assemblages will help shape our understanding of the relationship between fluted point technology, microblades, and caribou hunting in northern Alaska.

Caribou Hunting in Alpine West Greenland. An Archaeological Investigation

In 2014––2015 surveys have been made in the mountain range north of Kangerluarsunnguup Tasersua, a large inland lake south of Nuuk (West Greenland). As evidence of Paleo-Inuit and Norse is scarce, no detailed information can be given on caribou hunting during these time periods. In contrast, 88 sites connected with caribou hunting in Late Thule (c. AD 1600–-1700) and the Colonial time period (c. AD 1700–-1950) have been registered. These sites indicate three distinct alpine hunting grounds. Every hunting ground was used by small, mobile groups of hunting companions, only one also by small, related households who stayed at one spot for a longer time period. Households and hunters preferred to sleep at medium height to hunt caribou here as well as in the highest areas. Caribou hunting with the help of drive lanes was done rarely. In contrast, the main hunting method was using single or few stone-built shooting coverts which are situated in small, natural bottlenecks.

Using agent-based modeling and cultural algorithms to predict the location of submerged ancient occupational sites

Some of the most pivotal questions in human history, such as the origins of early human culture, the spread of hominids out of Africa, and the colonization of New World necessitate the investigation of archaeological sites that are now under water. These contexts have unique potentials for preserving ancient sites without disturbance from later human occupation. The Alpena- Amberley Ridge (AAR) beneath modern Lake Huron in the North American Great Lakes offers unique evidence of prehistoric caribou hunters for a time period that is very poorly known on land.

A 9,000-year-old caribou hunting structure beneath Lake Huron

Some of the most pivotal questions in human history necessitate the investigation of archaeological sites that are now under water. Nine thousand years ago, the Alpena-Amberley Ridge (AAR) beneath modern Lake Huron was a dry land corridor that connected northeast Michigan to southern Ontario. The newly discovered Drop 45 Drive Lane is the most complex hunting structure found to date beneath the Great Lakes. The site and its associated artifacts provide unprecedented insight into the social and seasonal organization of prehistoric caribou hunting. When combined with environmental and simulation studies, it is suggested that distinctly different seasonal strategies were used by early hunters on the AAR, with autumn hunting being carried out by small groups, and spring hunts being conducted by larger groups of cooperating hunters.

Effects of mining on reindeer/caribou populations and indigenous livelihoods: community-based monitoring by Sami reindeer herders in Sweden and First Nations in Canada

This paper explores the effects of human disturbances associated with mine development in the Arctic on habitat and populations of reindeer/caribou (both Rangifer tarandus), and implications for reindeer husbandry and caribou hunting of indigenous Sami people in Sweden and First Nations in Canada. Through three case studies, we illustrate how Cree and Naskapi communities develop community-based geospatial information tools to collect field data on caribou migration and habitat changes, and how Sami reindeer herders use GIS to gather information about reindeer husbandry to better communicate impacts of mining on reindeer grazing areas. Findings indicate impacts on the use of disturbed habitat by reindeer/caribou, on migration routes, and northern livelihoods. The three cases present novel methods for community-based environmental monitoring, with applications in hazards mapping and denote the active engagement of indigenous communities in polar environmental assessments, generating community-oriented data for land use management decisions. They also illustrate how technology can lead to better communication and its role for empowerment.

Regional Variation in Thule and Colonial Caribou Hunting in West Greenland

This study presents data from archaeological structures connected with caribou hunting in the northeastern Nuuk region with a focus on construction, structure, and topographical setting as well as on intrasite spatial patterning. The results of this investigation are compared with research in other regions of West Greenland. A high variability in hunting methods, group size, and mobility can be shown within a given region and among different regions.

Caribou hunting and utilization in West Greenland: Past and present variants

ABSTRACT In 2012, a series of interviews was carried out with Greenlandic hunters (26 to 86 years old) on caribou hunting and utilization in central West Greenland. As recently as 1950 AD, almost all parts of the caribou were utilized intensively. In the following decades, numerous uses disappeared, and a few new ones were added. A few Greenlanders reported that they had experienced the utilization of parts of caribou during their childhood that they had not used in the last decades. The intensive use of fat and caribou hides disappeared, whereas the exploitation of caribou as a tourist attraction was new. A portion of the earlier pattern of caribou utilization would be visible in an archaeozoological investigation, however a significant part would remain undetectable.

“Nobody Knows the way of the Caribou”: Rangifer hunting at 45° North Latitude

While caribou hunting structures are well known in the circumpolar region, equivalent features are difficult to investigate further south due to significant changes in sea level and subsequent human activity. The discovery of hunting structures on submerged landforms beneath modern Lake Huron provides a new window into caribou hunting in the mid-latitudes. This paper summarizes current findings and considers both the strategies for hunting caribou and the necessary organizational implications for such activities on the Alpena-Amberley Ridge. It is shown that many of the features known in the circumpolar region are also present in the mid-latitudes, but that significant differences are also observed. Many of these differences seem attributable to the seasonal migration of vast caribou herds across the causeway-like setting of the Alpena-Amberley Ridge.

Archaeological Commentary on the Isotopic Study of the Greenland Thule Culture

An archaeological commentary is given on the results of the first isotopic study of the Greenland Thule culture. To test the isotopic data derived from human remains from the graves, comparative archaeological data of the faunal and artifactual material from the sites are presented. To make the two data sets comparable, the faunal material are presented in NISP and the artifactual material are presented as technounits. The three data sets given, i.e., the isotopic, the faunal, and the artifactual, confirm that the Inuit were heavily reliant on marine protein and resources. Exceptions are those from Northeast Greenland, whose isotopic signatures show evidence of consumption of terrestrial protein as well, a statement confirmed by the archaeological material, faunal as well as artifactual, showing that ca. 20% and 40% of bones as well as technounits found on coastal and inland sites, respectively, are related to terrestrial resources. The conclusion made is that the isotopic analyses are valid in archaeological contexts and support the archaeological material. Concerning the substantial use of inland resources in Northeast Greenland compared with the ethnographically documented intensive caribou hunting in West Greenland, the former region still remains most enigmatic from a cultural point of view.

Ice Patch Archaeology in Alaska: 2000 – 10

In the past decade, ice patch archaeological research has been initiated in several areas of Alaska, including Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, the Amphitheater Mountains, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Denali National Park and Preserve, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Chugach National Forest, and Katmai National Park. Although still in its formative stages, this research demonstrates that high-altitude ice patches have been an important part of the annual subsistence cycles of Alaskan people for at least 4000 years. Researchers have found cultural materials at 13 Alaskan ice patches. Most artifacts recovered are related to caribou hunting; however, a growing body of evidence demonstrates that ice patches were the foci for a wide range of subsistence activities, such as hunting birds, harvesting berries, and snaring small mammals. Site interpretations are based on ethnographically documented cultural practices, animal behavior, alpine ecology and geology, and archaeological analyses.

The Archaeology and Paleoecology of Alpine Ice Patches: A Global Perspective

The Archaeology and Paleoecology of Alpine Ice Patches: A Global Perspective

An integrated approach to communicating and implementing community-based caribou health monitoring

Management of caribou involves diverse stakeholders with unique objectives. While these multiple stakeholders have a shared interest in caribou and a common desire for their long-term sustainability, there have been important and often severe conflicts between caribou using communities and scientists and government management agencies. These conflicts often reflect differing world views and insufficient meaningful communication between these groups. Scientists and government agencies are now realizing the important role that communities can play in identifying issues, contributing Traditional Ecological Knowledge and as collectors of scientific data, but continue to struggle to find effective ways of interacting with communities effectively. The five communities within the Sahtu region of the Northwest Territories (NWT) (Deline, Tulita, Norman Wells, Colville Lake, and Fort Good Hope) utilize barren-ground and woodland caribou and have a strong interest in maintaining sustainable caribou populations. During a N W T Biophysical Study workshop held in 2002, elders and community observers requested more training for youth in science and for more involvement of hunters and community members in research. In response to these apparent needs, in 2003 we initiated a long-term, integrated approach to foster community-based caribou monitoring and education. Annual trips via winter road have been made to all schools in the Sahtu from 2003 to 2008 to provide hands-on learning for 300 to 500 children each year about diverse wildlife health topics. At the same time, interviews were conducted with 31 hunters and elders to document their traditional knowledge of caribou health. Local caribou hunters were employed as monitors to collect tissue samples and measurements for body condition and disease monitoring from 69 caribou and we meet with them annually. Each year, a graduate student from a southern university in the veterinary or biological sciences has participated in the pro¬ gram, obtaining invaluable experiences working with northern communities and wildlife health issues. The program has evolved over the last six years in response to community input, results of empirical research, and traditional knowledge that are evaluated in an integrated manner.

Measuring Paleoindian range mobility and land-use in the Great Lakes/Northeast

Distance and direction to source data were compiled on the main toolstones employed at 83 Paleoindian sites with concave-based points (ca. 11,000–10,000 B.P.) from across the recently deglaciated Great Lake-Northeastern area of North America. These data were used in order to more rigorously evaluate several much debated ideas about annual range mobility scale and land use patterns and how they changed over time as these groups colonized and settled into the area. Movements are significantly biased to north–south axes, strongly suggesting these represent mainly seasonal moves and procurement of toolstones during regular travels rather than by specialized task groups. Means of comparing the scale of range mobility to ethnographic norms are explored and the results clearly show that these groups, especially the earliest occupants, had large annual range mobility scales and distinctive patterns of land use that are rarely seen or approached historically. They had to have been intensively targeting widely spaced but relatively abundant resources on the landscape. The only ethnographic groups who come close to such patterns historically were all caribou hunters, a perspective consistent with the idea these groups regularly exploited that resource. As long suggested, these land use patterns are probably related to the colonization of new lands in which there were little or no existing populations.

Nothing is wasted: The ideal “nothing is wasted” and divergence in past and present among caribou hunters in Greenland

The 75 year old Greenlandic huntress Agnethe Rosing, is one of the last living persons who went hunting far inland in her youth. In 2003 she told about the ideal concept that “nothing is wasted” of a hunted caribou, and she demonstrated how the meat and the bones were handled as it was done “in the old days”. For the bones it meant that they were smashed to small pieces and cooked afterwards. It was possible to recognise this ideal in the surface bone distribution at numerous Thule archaeological sites in central West Greenland. However, this paper also shows that the ideal has not always been applied, and that “the old days” were not always the same. A test excavation in a midden at the site L 14 dated to 1600–1700s AD contained whole intact spinal columns and many complete, not smashed bones, and bones in anatomical order, suggesting a departure from the ideal and a dramatic change in hunting and economic strategies.